#mac macguff

Format: Live-action feature film.

Director: Jason Reitman

Writer: Diablo Cody

Is J.K. Simmons in this? Yes.

Who does he portray? He portrays Mac MacGuff, father of the film’s protagonist Juno MacGuff. I am genuinely not sure if “Mac” is a nickname based on his surname or if his character’s given name is actually Mackenzie or something like that. Honestly, both possibilities sound equally plausible.

What does he do? He dispenses Fatherly Advice™ and serves as an emotional support to his daughter during her pregnancy.

How bald is he? I’d say he is averagely bald. Clean-shaven head on top, and a little ring of hair around the edge. Like Homer Simpson.

Is anybody else in this? Yes, there pretty much have to be other people in this. A number of the characters are high-school kids, and as good an actor as J.K. Simmons is, I doubt he’d be able to convincingly portray a teenager (particularly not a young woman, and especially particularly not a young pregnant woman).

Is it worth seeing if I’m not a J.K. Simmons completist? It depends. This is  a story that’s attempting to portray a very specific type of teenager, namely the teenager who has adopted a set of quirky interests/affectations because they’re trying to figure out their identity. Aside from a couple of lines that haven’t aged terribly well, I would say it largely succeeds in doing so. It also makes this a good fit for a director like Jason Reitman, whose films often centre around people learning to be comfortable in their own skin. If you’re the sort of person who enjoys that kind of character and that kind of writing, you’ll probably appreciate this as a heart-warming coming-of-age story.

The Dad Character of the Day is: